


our time together's flown

by monsterscalling



Category: NU'EST
Genre: Canon Compliant, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, i miss my dumbasses, i'm a sensitive baekminist ok, who am i kidding about this light angst wtf
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-04-17 20:08:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14196777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monsterscalling/pseuds/monsterscalling
Summary: dongho and minhyun take one last bike ride together.





	our time together's flown

**Author's Note:**

> title taken from the song "home" by bruno major. 
> 
> inspired by a cc prompt about minhyun and dongho spending their last morning together before minhyun embarks on his journey with wanna one.

“Hey, Dongho… wake up… Dongho?”  

Dongho feels someone sitting next to him, gently nudging his shoulder. He’s still lying in bed, tangled in his own sheets. He forces his eyes open and slowly turns to his side, squinting at his alarm clock. 

The red numbers are somewhat blurry in his vision, but he could see them clearly enough. He shuts his eyes again. “Minhyun,” he says hoarsely, “it’s four in the morning.” 

“Actually, it’s four-thirty,” Minhyun responds matter-of-factly, and Dongho is suddenly resisting the urge to push him off the bed, “and I swear it’s for a reason.”

_Oh, sure… For a reason._ Early morning schedules are the only justification Dongho would accept for being awakened from his hibernation; otherwise, he would much rather sleep until the afternoon. Four in the morning wasn’t quite justifiable under any other circumstances. “You swear,” he responds as he sits up with his face scrunched, eyes still heavy. 

Minhyun inhales deeply; Dongho instinctively readies himself to hear what’s on Minhyun’s mind. “Well… I probably slept for about an hour and a half so this is probably a _shitty_ idea, but I figured it would be a while since we’d be able to do this again so,” Minhyun suddenly pulls out Dongho’s car keys in the midst of his spiel, “bike ride?” 

Dongho pauses for a moment as his half-awake brain still tries to process everything that had just been spewed at him, with the seemingly random request causing him the most confusion. _Bike ride? At this hour?_ Late night bike rides have always been _their_ thing, the origin of some of their fondest memories, but Dongho wonders why _now_ of all days.

But as his cognitive processes finally kick in and begin to function again, he starts connecting the dots; he remembers what’s so different about today. In T-minus four hours, for the first time in _ten_ years, there would be a vacancy in the group.

  
He’s been dreading this day, to say the least. He hadn’t realized it until recently, but despite their great uncertainty, he’s dreaded this moment before the show even started.Although they both considered and subsequently analyzed every possible scenario during the course of the season, it never actually hit them that any of those outcomes could come true until… one did. 

His memory was already hazy, probably due to the rush of adrenaline, but Dongho did remember some very distinct things from that night: harsh white lights threatening to blind the boys, shaky legs threatening to cave at any moment, and tears threatening to come out at any moment.

It never really felt real. The final outcome didn’t quite hit home, either. It wasn’t until the room opposite Dongho’s became emptier and emptier with each passing day, as everything was neatly packed away into boxes or luggage cases or given to Aaron as a hand-me-down, that Dongho came to a realization… And he started feeling something rather acutely.

On one particularly bad day, he even came with some of the more trivial pros for the dorm as a means of distracting himself. On his list of “Good Things About Being Separated From a Clean Freak,” Dongho listed the following: 

First, it would be one less person to nag him to separate his colored from his whites (“You _monster,_ ” Minhyun whispered when he caught Dongho redhanded, being lazy). Second, he wouldn’t be reprimanded whenever he accidentally leaves food on the table overnight. Third, he wouldn’t be woken up _that much_ earlier than he had to.

Dongho’s efforts were ultimately futile. Apparently listing all the annoying things Minhyun nags him about would only make Dongho feel even more; a life where Minhyun couldn’t complain about his mess was a life he didn’t want. It just reminded him of his upcoming absence even more. 

Despite his best efforts to lighten the atmosphere around him, Dongho’s chest only continued to feel heavier; although he’s tried his best to conceal it as much as possible, for Minhyun’s sake (and his own), he couldn’t seem to shake the feeling of emptiness. He’s happy for him; he can’t describe just how happy he is for him. But, the whole situation still stings like a fresh wound, weighs on his chest like a hundred tons of steel. 

Dongho lets another moment pass to process his thoughts before he finally takes his keys from Minhyun’s grasp, but not without an exaggerated (and faked) sigh of resignation. “I’ll get the car.”

Minhyun lets out a hushed but ecstatic _woo_ as he relishes in his victory. “Sweet. I’ll get my jacket. I managed to find yours, thankfully,” he says, nodding to the black hoodie on the chair that he pulled out of a rather _unsightly_ pile of Dongho’s clothes.

Dongho scoffs in response, but a smile finds its way to him, upturning the corners of his lips; it’s a smile that’s particularly hard to suppress.

God, is Minhyun annoying as ever.

 

-

 

By the time they reach Han River, the sky has gradually shifted from darkness into a blend of pink and purple hues. They grab their bikes from Dongho’s car and mount them as they begin their last ride. 

Dongho leans forward and looks to Minhyun, a subtle glint in his eyes. “Race y-” 

Minhyun grins and starts pedaling ahead before Dongho can even finish his sentence. “Meet you at the bench!” Minhyun shouts behind him, thus eliciting a loud “ _Cheater!_ ” from Dongho as he tightens the grip on his handlebars and speeds off after Minhyun.

Warm but refreshing, crisp summer winds, a defining characteristic of Seoul in June, hit their skin. Street lamps line the walkway and light the path ahead of them, serving as their guide to their final destination. Although the two pedal as fast they possibly can, they end up riding alongside each other. Even during a supposed _race_ , they remain in sync, the way they always have been. 

Dongho momentarily diverts his focus to look at Minhyun, who remains concentrated on the road ahead. Despite his intense concentration, Minhyun’s eyes are gleaming, radiant even. The wind even blows through his hair… A scene straight out of a drama. (Dongho is sure he’s seen a similar scene while peering over Minhyun’s shoulder to look at his laptop screen.) 

It’s these particular moments in which Dongho finds himself most mesmerized by Minhyun. Even after years of random bike rides, picnics, and restaurant runs, Dongho still feels the same tug at his chest, his stomach turning (in the good, non-indigestion kind of way). Ten years of this, which he wish he could extend forever.

They eventually reach the final stretch as their usual spot comes into view. Dongho suddenly pedals faster, still intent on winning their race (giving in to Minhyun even on their last ride would be _unforgivable_ ), but Minhyun somehow manages to speed ahead of him at the last second and skids to a halt right next to their bench.

“Victory is _mine_ ,” Minhyun yells, pumping his fists in the air. However, the effort exerted to achieve victory leaves him gasping for air, so he immediately plops down on their bench; any effort to beat Dongho would do that to someone. Dongho follows suit, the exhaustion (and slight sleep deprivation; thanks Minhyun) wearing him down.

“Consider that _maybe_ I gave it to you just this once,” Dongho says. Minhyun just laughs, though his breathing remains heavy and somewhat labored.

They both lie down on the bench and situate themselves as the adrenaline wears off; their view is the sky above them. For a few moments, all they can hear is each other’s heavy breaths as they bask in the familiarity of this spot, memories built up from years of late night escapades. Dongho takes in every moment, soaks it all up as much as possible; it’ll be a while until they can have this again.

Minhyun is the first to break the silence. “I can’t believe we’ve known each other for ten years.”

Dongho simply nods in response, eyes now trained on a passing cloud. “Yeah, I know. Ten years stuck with you and you’re _still_ annoying.”

Minhyun stops looking to the sky to give Dongho a (much deserved) jab in the arm; Dongho’s brows just furrow as he exaggerates his hurt. “I could easily say that about you, asshole. I’m trying to have a moment here. I’m just saying… a year and a half shouldn’t seem like a long time, but it is. It is a long time.”

“It’ll be good for everyone. Especially for you, being able to experience all of that,” Dongho finally says, although his voice suddenly falls, “but you’re right. It’s… long.”

They’re quiet for a few more moments, still looking above them. The sun is rising, transforming the sky’s deep colors into a swirl of brighter hues; oranges and blues now pervade the morning sky. Although it is something that occurs everyday, just another feat of nature, actually witnessing the change in the sky in real-time is always an experience in itself. No matter how many late night rides they take, no matter how many times they watch the sun rise or set, the sky’s transformation never gets old.

Dongho can’t help what he’s feeling. The change that will be brought upon by their separation, by Minhyun’s absence, already hurts him and leaves him more conflicted than anything; it’s deeper than anything he had ever prepared for. The absence of someone he loves so much, albeit temporary, hurts.

But at the same time, he’s just so grateful for this; he’s incredibly relieved that Minhyun has this opportunity to embark on this adventure and undergo something completely new. Although Dongho doesn’t want to let all of this go, let their bike dates go, let _Minhyun_ go… he’s happy for him. Happy that Minhyun can grow and transform and adapt and change for the better. 

Dongho realizes, change is ultimately something to welcome. 

Dongho finally turns to his side, facing Minhyun. “Hey, on the bright side, you won’t have to deal with our mess for that time. And we can finally take a break from your clean freak ass.”

“Actually, Jaehwan’s got you covered,” Minhyun jokes, although the memories of Jaehwan’s lifestyle during their Justice League days clearly haunt him; Dongho knows of all the horror stories. “And by the way, I totally trust Jonghyun. Maybe once in a while he’ll remind you that delicates _don’t_ go in with the rest of your laundry… if he remembers himself.”

Minhyun then follows suit, turning on his side to face Dongho; now they both lie face-to-face, basking in the moment but also taking in the other’s every feature. 

It’s Minhyun who reaches first his hand out first, stroking Dongho’s face, tracing from cheek to jawline. Dongho gently takes Minhyun’s hand and intertwines their fingers, bringing Minhyun closer to him. Bike dates aside, it’ll be a while until he gets to do this again, too.

Minhyun smiles. “Promise me a bike ride when I get back? Let’s see if you’ll still lose to me then.”

Dongho squeezes Minhyun’s hand. “I’ll be better. I swear.”

**Author's Note:**

> [throws heart] take it. take my fragile baekmin heart. and what it made me poop out on the tag.
> 
> i don't know why i was so stuck in my FEELINGS writing this one. like why am i so cheesy and dramatic tf. but thank u so much for coming along for the relatively short ride (hahah get it.. don't punch me)!! i just miss their dumb instagram posts.... and late night bike dates...... i know this fic is all emotions BUT IT WAS ALL I WAS FEELING SO....
> 
> ALSO SORRY TO THE ANON WHO SENT ME THAT. it's been months.... but thank u so much! here's to weathering the baekmin drought together
> 
> okay i apologize for my cheesiness. hope u enjoyed!!! [raises glass] here's to the return of baekmin bike dates in 2019


End file.
